Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

Jermaine Lawson ... troubled by shoulder injury. - Contributed

LESS THAN three weeks before the start of the 2008 Carib Beer Series, the Jamaica cricket team has found itself with a pace-bowling crisis, coach Junior Bennett confirmed yesterday.

When contacted yesterday, Bennett said things with the side were "up and down", but added: "The worrying factor for me now is our fast- bowling department".

In the last trial match, played at Sabina Park last week, Jermaine Lawson, who bowled four overs and took 2-34, broke down with a shoulder injury while Dwight Stewart did not take any part in the match. He is suffering from a side injury.

Another paceman, Jowayne Robinson, had only batted. He made 77 in his team's second innings.

"So, when you look at it now, with Jerome Taylor and Daren Powell away and also Andrew Richardson, who has not participated in any trial at this stage, it's a worrying factor," said Bennett.

When asked what the options would be if those players did not recover in time for the regional four-day tournament, Bennett replied: "Well, you have to look at our attack. If you don't have the fast bowlers, you just don't have them, and you might have to look at how many spinners to include".

But besides that, Bennett said medium pacer David Bernard Jr., and fast bowler Andre Russell, who has been bowling well, were still around.

"But you definitely need some of that firepower because they are the quicker bowlers. We play our last trial match at Sabina Park and the pitch there offers some bounce. So your genuine fast bowlers will extract some assistance from a pitch like that," he continued while adding, "You definitely would like to have at least three or so genuine fast bowlers on a track like that."

Apart from the pace-bowling dilemma, Bennett said: "Most things are on the positive side, so we have to build on that."

Bowling

"I think we have been bowling well so far. The bowling has been consistent throughout," he said, adding that all the matches had ended with results.

In the last match, Tamar Lambert's XI scored 95 and 330 while Carlton Baugh's XI made 223 and 207 for seven to complete a three-wicket win. Bennett blamed some of the batting woes on poor shot selection but gave Russell a great deal of credit for his bowling performance in the Lambert XI's innings of 95.

"Shot selection is a part of it, but I think there was one particular over where Russell bowled exceptionally well and changed the whole course of that innings when he got four wickets in four balls," Bennett explained.

"But things have been looking up. We have two centuries so far and a few half centuries. I would say there are positives to build on."